Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/ ^ⓘ ED-in-bər-ə,^[12]^[13]^[14] Scots: [ˈɛdɪnbʌrə]; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [t̪un ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth estuary and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in mid-2020,^[8] making it the second-most populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year.^[15]

Quick Facts Dùn Èideann, Sovereign state ...

Edinburgh Dùn Èideann
Capital city and council area
City of Edinburgh
Skyline of Central Edinburgh, with the Dugald Stewart Monument (forefront) and Edinburgh Castle (background) Scott Monument Scottish Parliament building Royal Scottish Academy Building St Giles' Cathedral Arthur's Seat
Coat of arms Flag of Edinburgh^[1]^[2]
Nicknames: "Auld Reekie", "Edina", "Athens of the North"
Motto(s): Nisi Dominus Frustra (Latin) Without the Lord, all is in vain
Edinburgh Edinburgh locality within the City of Edinburgh council area Edinburgh Location within Scotland Show map of Scotland Edinburgh Location within the United Kingdom Show map of the United Kingdom Edinburgh Location within Europe Show map of Europe
Coordinates: 55°57′12″N 03°11′21″W
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Scotland
Council area	City of Edinburgh
Lieutenancy area	Edinburgh
Founded	Before 7th century AD
Burgh Charter	1124
City status	1633^[3]
Government
• Type	Unitary authority
• Governing body	The City of Edinburgh Council
• Lord Provost of Edinburgh	Robert Aldridge
• MSPs	6 Ash Regan (Alba) Angus Robertson (SNP) Daniel Johnson (Lab) Gordon MacDonald (SNP) Ben Macpherson (SNP) Alex Cole-Hamilton (LD)
• MPs	5 Scott Arthur (Lab) Tracy Gilbert (Lab) Ian Murray (Lab) Chris Murray (Lab) Christine Jardine (LD)
Area ^[4]
• Locality	46 sq mi (119 km²)
• Urban (Settlement)^[5]	49 sq mi (126 km²)
• Council area^[6]	102 sq mi (263 km²)
Elevation ^[7]	154 ft (47 m)
Population (2022)^[8](2022)^[9]
• Locality	506,520
• Density	11,000/sq mi (4,300/km²)
• Urban (Settlement)	530,990
• Urban density	11,000/sq mi (4,200/km²)
• Metro ^[10]	901,455
• Council area	514,990^{[disputed – discuss]}
• Council area density	5,060/sq mi (1,955/km²)
• Language(s)	English Scots
GDP ^[11]
• Council area	£31.802 billion (2022)
• Per head	£60,764 (2022)
Time zone	UTC±0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode areas	EH1-17, EH28-30
Area code	0131
ISO 3166-2	GB-EDH
ONS code	S12000036
OS grid reference	NT275735
NUTS 3	UKM25
Primary Airport	Edinburgh Airport
Website	www.edinburgh.gov.uk

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iv
Reference	728
Inscription	1995 (19th Session)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	The Forth Bridge
Criteria	Cultural: i, iv
Reference	1485
Inscription	2015 (39th Session)

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Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, the highest courts in Scotland, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. It is also the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scottish law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of three in the city, is considered one of the best research institutions in the world. It is the second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, the fourth largest in Europe, and the thirteenth largest internationally.^[16]

The city is a cultural centre, and is the home of institutions including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery.^[17] The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,^[18] which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999. The city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the UK's second-most visited tourist destination, attracting 4.9 million visits, including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.^[19]^[20]

Edinburgh is governed by the City of Edinburgh Council, a unitary authority. The City of Edinburgh council area had an estimated population of 514,990 in mid-2021,^[9] and includes outlying towns and villages which are not part of Edinburgh proper. The city is in the Lothian region and was historically part of the shire of Midlothian (also called Edinburghshire).